The first picturesque images of Valaam appeared in the middle of the 19th century, when steamship communication between the island and the “mainland” was opened. Since then, artists have grown very fond of these places.
1. The very first painting of Valaam was painted by artist Anton Ivanov, who literally “discovered” this destination for others.
Anton Ivanov. ‘Valaam Island at Sunset’, 1843.
State Tretyakov Gallery
2. Ivan Davydov. ‘View of Valaam’, 1853.
3. Mikhail Klodt. ‘View of Valaam Island’, 1857.
Tomsk Regional Museum of Art
4. Ivan Shishkin, one of the most famous Russian painters, came here many times to paint the local forests and boulders overgrown with moss. He was not alone there, but together with his friends, artists Alexander Gine and Pavel Dzhogin.
Ivan Shishkin. ‘View of Valaam Island (Kukko)’, 1859.
State Russian Museum
5. Alexander Gine. ‘Storm on Valaam’, mid-19th century.
6. Pavel Dzhogin.‘On Valaam’, 1865.
State Tretyakov Gallery
7. Arkhip Kuindzhi visited these parts in the early 1870s. As artist Ilya Repin later said, it was after visiting Valaam that Kuindzhi's “original creative activity” began. This painting was his first work, which was bought by collector Pavel Tretyakov. Today, it can be seen in the Tretyakov Gallery.
Arkhip Kuindzhi. ‘On the Island of Valaam’, 1873.
State Tretyakov Gallery
8. The Roerich family visited the island several times. In this painting, Nicholas Roerich depicted the island and a boat with two elders, the founders of the Valaam Monastery.
Nicholas Roerich. ‘Holy Island’, 1917.
State Russian Museum
Dear readers,
Our website and social media accounts are under threat of being restricted or banned, due to the current circumstances. So, to keep up with our latest content, simply do the following:
- Subscribe to our Telegram channel
- Subscribe to our weekly email newsletter
- Enable push notifications on our website
- Install a VPN service on your computer and/or phone to have access to our website, even if it is blocked in your country